CAUGHT IN FIERCE STORM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 53, 11 September 1928, Page 13

CAUGHT IN FIERCE STORM

ULM'S THRILLING STORY SOUTHERN CROSS COATED WITH ICE

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHEISTCHUECH, This Day. In an exclusive interview Ulin said: "A little after 2 p.m. on Monday wo received word from Dr. Kidson, the Now Zealand Meteorologist, through the Weather Bureau, Melbourne, that the weather report indicated very favourable conditions with tho exception of the first thirty or forty miles from Australia, and thereupon wo decided to ! take off at 5 p.m. We placed flags on each side of tho specially prepared runway at the Richmond aerodrome, and at 5.25 p.m., Sydney time, took off into a strong westerly wind. At 5.30 wo had reached an altitude of 1800 feet, and sighted the Australian coast. We were thon on an earth inductor compass course for a point in tho middle of Cook Strait. At C.43 we passed, over tho coast line, very slightly north of Dee

bumps, at the rate of 3000 feet per niinulo. We climbed to 7000 feet. FEARS FOR THE ENGINES. "The ico on the wings and on tho windshields became thicker, and in very severe bumps wo wcro eventually forced down to 2000 feet. Wo were both fearful that the electrical disturbance might affect our magnetos sufficiently to stop the operation of the motors. This last spell was ot! short duration, and at 12.30 the stars wcro ; peeping out again, but it was frightfully cold. "*At 12.35 we sighted very big rain clouds immediately ahead, aud at 12.40 we were again flying blind in tho heavy rain and severe bumps. At 1 a.m. wo were' up again to 8000 feet, but our windshields were completely covered with thick ice, and it was bitterly cold in the cockpit. For the next twenty minutes we had another bout of blind flying in ho.ivy rain, which drove us down to 6000 feet. "At 1.45 wo were out of the rain,